Medical professionals around the world are currently trying to determine whether the currently available vaccines will be effective against the new strains of COVID-19 that have surfaced in recent months.
At least five new variants of the virus have been reported in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and New York, and California in the United States, and Barbados have recorded at least three cases of the UK strain thus far.
President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), Dr Lynda Williams, told COVID Weekly that Barbadian doctors are concerned about strains that are resistant to the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine being offered here, saying that, “If we get the South African strain or the mutated UK one which is said to be a combination of the original, the +484 variation and the South African one, we may have difficulty controlling the virus.
“The main issue with these new types is that there is not enough information available yet, so investigations are currently taking place to determine whether the vaccines will be effective against them.”
Dr Williams stated, “We have called for genome surveillance on these new strains. That means we are looking for changes in the genomes, or the genetic structure of the virus, in a systematic way. It does not involve testing everyone, but we will be checking their symptoms in such a way that will determine if they indeed have one of these different strains.”
She said the Caribbean region had asked for assistance in carrying out the surveillance and several agencies, including the Caribbean Public Health Association (CARPHA) had expressed an interest in doing so, but the Government would make the final determination on that matter.
This article appears in the March 1 edition of COVID Weekly. Read the full publication here.
